Breakdown

Groundstrokes: 8.6

When it came to hitting from the baseline, the Gravity MP XL was a force to be reckoned with. Our testers felt grounded and very connected to their shots. The additional length worked well for Chris, who found increased levels of depth and spin on both wings. He explained, "I have always enjoyed the Gravity MP racquets from Head but have always wanted a little more from them. With the addition of the Gravity MP XL, my quest for more has been answered. My shots just lacked a little weight with the regular MP, and it's a racquet I would weight up. This plus-length version adds the extra swingweight to get my shots pushing through the court. Instead of my shots sitting up, they were more penetrating and pushed my opponent onto his back foot. I really liked the playability of this racquet on my backhand slice, and I could hit a low-skidding fast-paced slice. I also found enough maneuverability for the Gravity MP XL to feel manageable on my topspin backhand. I liked the added pace on my forehand side, while I still found plenty of the control and feel I expect from a Gravity racquet."

Likewise, Michelle was happy to find ample pace and precision on whatever shot she went for. She enjoyed the flexible nature of the frame more than she expected, noting, "This racquet came at a time when I have been playtesting a handful of racquets that are definitely more flexible than I normally like, and this Gravity MP XL falls into that category with an RA rating under 60. The sweetspot felt large and plush. The swingweight was just perfect for me, and that added half-inch offered a fun swinging experience. I really felt like I could hit deep in the court without a ton of effort. I get used to slugging tougher racquets that make me really work to get the ball to plow through the court, but this racquet does that with more ease. Access to spin was easy too, and I liked the 16x20 string pattern. Interestingly, while swinging easy was great and swinging hard was effective, an in-between swing resulted in more errors, so at times the ball flew a bit on me if I wasn't super relaxed or going full throttle. This is more of a me thing and made me feel like the racquet was a bit string sensitive; it's something I think I could fix with tighter strings, but it was noticeable in point play." 

Troy was happy with the Gravity MP XL's stability, especially considering the extra length and widebody construction. He said, "Along with some of the other playtesters, I have been a big fan of the extended-length racquets in the 100- or 98-square-inch head size range. This addition to that group was a pleasure to hit with from the baseline, especially based on how comfortable and plush it felt on contact. That said, even though it was plush and flexible, it didn't ever feel unstable or wobbly when making off-center contact. The 100-square-inch head size felt nice and forgiving, and I was really jelling with this Head Gravity MP XL 2023 on my two-handed backhand. I liked that added forgiveness on my backhand and also the easy depth that the 100-square-inch head size provided me; it just felt so smooth and clean on my backhand, which is something I can't always say with most racquets. I could hit a very heavy ball on my forehand side, but I had to be cognizant not to overhit and spray the ball long."

Thanks to the Gravity MP XL's balance of versatility and reliability, Mark found himself fully trusting the racquet from the baseline. He said, "Head's Gravity MP XL was great from the backcourt, period! It definitely provided a level of plow through stability that is typically reserved for frames that weigh more than 305 grams. By my second session with the MP XL, I was benefiting from its ample power and great directional control, and I was able to easily add or absorb pace from the baseline. As much as I like the combo of a 100-square-inch head size and an 18x20 string pattern, the spin potential of the Gravity MP XL's 16x20 pattern was more versatile in terms of easy access to topspin off either wing."

Volleys: 8.5

Extended-length racquets often suffer from their comparative lack of maneuverability at net. However, the Gravity MP XL managed to make volleys functional with some additional forgiveness (widebody and flex rating) and spin generation for shaping volleys. Troy found success on this shot despite some initial apprehension. He described, "This Gravity MP XL felt pretty solid and stable on volleys, and for it being extended in length, it wasn't all that difficult to maneuver. I was a little worried that it might feel a little unstable at times since it’s extended and flexible, especially on off-center hits, but I was really surprised how stable it felt when I hit my volleys. The 100 head size was forgiving, so I felt like I was getting good consistency as well as easy depth on my volleys. The plush feel of this racquet felt comfortable on my arms, and it also helped with the touch and feel, allowing me to execute drop volleys with ease. The 100-square-inch head size, although forgiving, didn't feel quite as precise as some of the smaller head size racquets I have been using, like the recently tested Wilson Pro Staff Six.One 95 v14 and Yonex Percept 97H." 

Similarly, Michelle was able to make the Gravity MP XL's length work for her instead of against her at net. She noted, "Maybe it is more of a mental placebo, but I always feel like I can reach even more balls with an extended racquet. I also had fun moving forward to finish points with this racquet. It felt stable and handled pace well. I found good access to touch, and the ball pocketed well, so it essentially felt like time slowed down and allowed me to place the ball exactly where I wanted to." 

Mark found his confidence growing at net, and he enjoyed how the frame characteristics coalesced here. He said, "This was another part of the playtest where all of the attributes (length, weight, balance, etc.) of the Gravity MP XL helped produce a 'bring-it' degree of net confidence, along with high quality and consistent volleys, whether contact was off the bounce or in the air."

As a seasoned net player, Chris found great success when moving forward. He said, "The Gravity MP XL worked well for me at net. I loved the feel and control I had on my shots. I was able to place my volleys very well. The racquet felt manageable, and it didn't take me any time to get used to the added length. I felt like I could react quickly and then use the added swingweight to give my volleys a little more pop." 

Serves: 8.9

Our team was simply blown away by the Gravity MP XL's serving performance. Flat serves proved extremely effective, and there was still plenty of spin capability if needed for kick serves, loopier motions or slice serves. Each one of our testers was captivated by the over-the-shoulder abilities of the MP XL, with Michelle finding room for her booming style of serve and play. She said, "I loved serving with this racquet! It was super fun to blast first serves, and I felt really precise. The Gravity MP XL flowed and did exactly what I asked of it. I also felt really effective on kickers and slice serves. This was my favorite part of the Gravity MP XL playtest." 

Chris was more than happy with the Gravity MP XL on his serve. He said, "One of my two favorite shots to hit with the Gravity MP XL was the serve (the other being my slice backhand). I found better access to pace and also felt like I was hitting a heavier serve. I was very happy with the pace I found on both my flat and my spin serves. My favorite serve was my slice out wide to the deuce court. I found a solid blend of pace, spin and accuracy on that serve."

The Gravity MP XL could do it all for Troy's serves. He noted, "I loved trying to crank up the power with this racquet when hitting a big flat first serve. The extended length and the 100-square-inch head size allowed me to get a lot of pop on my serves; I would say it's similar to what I can achieve with my Yonex EZONE 98+. As much as I liked attacking with a big flat serve, I think my spin serves were equally effective. The 16x20 pattern was actually pretty open, and I was getting easy grip on the ball to generate heavy spin on my serves. Overall, I loved serving with this racquet. As I mentioned before, it may not be as precise as some of the smaller head sizes, but that wasn't too much of an issue on my serve.”

The serve was one of many favorite parts of the playtest for Mark. He said, "I thought for certain that serving with the Gravity MP XL was going to be my highlight shot of this playtest. However, due to its all-court capability, it was hard to say anything other than I enjoy playing with this racquet immensely. Overall, I felt that it was easy to produce a heavy ball on my serve without having to swing exceptionally fast to achieve it."

Returns: 8.5

When it came to redirecting the extra firepower of a serve and shaping one's return, the Gravity MP XL once again proved to be a highly effective instrument. Troy was satisfied with the capabilities afforded to him on his return. He said, "As with my groundstrokes, I loved hitting on the backhand side when returning. The extra length gave me a boost on my two-handed backhand returns; just that little bit of extra leverage and reach had me feeling confident. I found it easy to get depth, I enjoyed the easy launch angle and net clearance, and the substantial swingweight helped with the plow through. There were a few times when I found the power and depth to be a little too much on my aggressive forehand returns; the ball would sail a bit long on me. That said, I was able to adjust and get a little more margin and spin, so I could push my opponents back on the forehand returns, and I was also able to utilize the slice returns as well. Overall, this was a great racquet for hitting my returns, especially thanks to the help it gave me on my two-handed backhand."

Chris was also impressed with the options at his disposal for returns. He said, "I returned well with the Gravity MP XL. I liked the solid feel the racquet had through contact. Getting topspin or slice was easy, and the spin added even more control to an already very control-oriented racquet. I liked the added swingweight of this version compared to the standard because it made it easier to find depth on block returns, since the racquet was doing more of the work for me."

Returning serve is often about the right shot selection, and Mark found himself with a plethora of options here. He said, "With the Head Gravity MP XL in hand, I was able to sneak in more topspin service returns than I would've thought possible. My overall directional control of my return was good, as was my ability to absorb the pace of a fast serve with the MP XL." 

Michelle particularly enjoyed how the Gravity MP XL's swingweight allowed for more stability. She said, "Returning with this racquet was a positive experience. I love extended-length frames and am able to really focus on a shorter backswing; I find that helps me stay dialed in without going for too much. The 16x20 pattern offers just a tad more control here without limiting access to spin, which was great. The swingweight was just right. I could push forward and plow through the ball, but I could still maneuver angles. The Gravity MP XL was stable when returning and fun to take big cuts with!" 

Breakdown Summary